


will you meet me here tomorrow, same place, same tide?

by s0joshdun



Series: gosh damn that's a gay fish [1]
Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Angst Free Zone, Cute, Fluff, M/M, Magic, all fluff i promise, and tyler is just some Regular Dude, josh is a snarky gay fish
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-03
Updated: 2017-05-28
Packaged: 2018-04-07 10:15:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4259547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/s0joshdun/pseuds/s0joshdun
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>shy and lonesome tyler makes a friend in a snarky and hyperactive mermaid named josh</p><p>these are their stories</p><p>dun dun</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. will you meet me here tomorrow, same place, same tide?

**Author's Note:**

> ((when ur on vacation so all u can think about are beach related joshler aus and then u express them to ur friends and an entire fic is born))

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Tail This One Tells: _I didn't even know your species existed and now I'm pretty sure we're friends_

Tyler has always been a good swimmer. He loves the water, especially the beach. He's one with the sand, one with the tides, per say. 

Tyler yawns and stretches out, craning his neck and raising his arms towards the purple-ish sky for his night swim. He saves these swims for when lifeguards are off duty because they'd end up whistling at him to come back to shore. Sometimes he wishes he were the lifeguard. He knows the ocean a lot better than any of those YMCA trained teenagers.

He kicks off his shoes and takes his shirt off, packing them neatly into his backpack and setting it in the seat of the empty lifeguard chair. He stretches his arms again and wades into the water.

It's 7:32 pm and the tide is at its lowest. 

The water isn't warm but it isn't freezing. Comfortable. He takes a breath and presses through the smaller waves crashing. Once the water gets deeper he takes another breath and dives under the waves. Tyler always prides himself for being able to hold his breath and see exceptionally well under water. He's only done this for basically his entire life. 

He swims for a while, butterfly style, taking his time, heading for his typical hang out spot. 

"Okay, what the heck?" 

The sound of someone's quiet and oddly muffled exclamation interrupts Tyler's peace. He nearly gasps underwater. When he resurfaces, he looks around wildly for another person out there, weird because he always thinks he's the only one who ever risks coming all the way out into the deep part of the ocean, especially at this time of the day. It's literally almost an entire mile from shore, so unless a professional swimmer had decided to grace him with their presence this evening, he figures the voice is just another fun figment of his imagination. 

He blinks a few times and coughs out his shock. "Jeez," he breathes, shaking his head. Sometimes his imagination plays real nice tricks on him, as if to try and discourage him from his free-form swimming in open waters like this. Like that one time he thought he saw a shark, when it was just a piece of debris. Even when he was a kid he thought he heard and saw wild things in the ocean. Like mermaids and stuff. Imagine that. 

He always continues on, though. Eventually he makes it to the rocky, shallow sandbar. The tide doesn't rise again for several hours, leaving him plenty of time to lay out and relax out here—the quiet of the deeper waters. 

He ruffles his hair up and stretches out again, taking a deep breath. He lays down on the sand and folds his hands behind his head, closing his eyes. The sun has been setting but the night doesn't really faze him. 

Only a few minutes later, though, Tyler hears a voice again. He opens his eyes slowly, calmly and widely, his eyebrows furrowing but no other part of him really reacting. 

"Alright, how the _heck_ did you do that?" 

 

^v^v^v^v^

 

Tyler sits up and attempts to unclog his ears. He gently taps the side of his head. 

He's not one for cursing but this time he can't help it, besides, he's by himself, or at least he thought he was until a minute ago. "Who the hell...?" 

"Come over here! I gotta ask you about your insane skills," the voice says again. Tyler blinks and scuffles up to his feet. He scans the area around him: the sandbar, small enough that Tyler knows he's by himself on that, the beach in the distance, too far away to possibly hear conversations from there, the shit ton of water surrounding him, probably tons of fish, maybe that shark, too. But no other person. 

Tyler turns towards the rocks last. "I don't bite, silly," the voice chuckles. 

"What the..." Tyler starts to say again, but when he squints his eyes he sees another face. A bright face with a goofy smile, tongue pressed through teeth kind of smile, squinted eyes but not like you're staring into the sun like Tyler's but like you're smiling way too much and your eyelids simply can't handle the excitement. Pink flowy, wispy hair, wet and slipped to the side, a curious mix of seashells and flowers twisted into the locks. A colorful arm, a tree and a sunset. Some nice fucking biceps. 

Tyler coughs and shakes his head. "Um..." He doesn't know what to say. The mysterious person chuckles and folds his arms on the top of a flat rock, resting his head there. "Do I...do I know you...?" Something about the colors makes Tyler feel a weird stinging sense of déjà vu. 

He laughs lightly again. "Nah, I don't think so. What's your name?" 

Tyler blinks again and walks over to his new company. "Tyler...what's yours?" 

Tyler's a little shy. That's why he spends so much time in the middle of the ocean, anyways. Not a lot of people out here to talk to. So he's not quite sure how to talk to this person, who had come literally out of nowhere. 

"Josh! Tyler. I like that name. Tyler," he says the name a few more times. "I've never met a Tyler before. That's cool. Hold on." Josh doesn't even take a breath before he disappears under the water. Tyler's eyes widen and he's about to go looking for him but then his head pops up again. He flips his hair. "Sounds even cooler underwater," he notes. 

Tyler simply scratches his neck awkwardly. "Uh... Hey... Where'd you come from, anyway? I didn't see anyone else swim out." 

Josh smiles brightly again and wiggles his eyebrows. "Down under." 

"Uh, like Australia?" 

Josh laughs loudly. It almost sounds like a song. Tyler leans forward because he's suddenly really entranced by Josh. "No, not Australia!" He laughs again. "What I mean is, like, under the water. see?" He smiles and gently swings to the side, coming into full view. Tyler's mouth gapes open when he sees how Josh is perched, his arms holding him up but his lower half twirling mindlessly in the water. And his lower half flips up, a few splashes of water hitting Tyler in the face, but he doesn't even react to the salt in his eyes because he's too busy trying to figure out how to react to the tail.

"Is that a tail?" Tyler asks dumbly. He blinks a few times in a row. It's so beautiful, the colors matching the ones that go up Josh's right arm--but it's a _tail_. 

Josh smiles easily and let's it back down and into the water. "Yep. Which is why I'm so incredibly confused as to how you swim so well with _those_ ," Josh comments, nodding to Tyler's legs. 

At this point, Tyler kind of just turns into a blubbering idiot. That was a _tail_ , and it sure didn't look like the kind you could get from a costume store. The scales were so perfectly shimmery, and the way it seemed to _belong_ on Josh's torso...it couldn't be fake. 

Tyler leans forward, suddenly on his knees and gripping a rock to steady himself, because he just has to see it again. "Hey, my face is up here," Josh chimes. Tyler's head snaps up and for some reason he blushes. 

"Did I drown or something?" Tyler finally says. He blinks again. 

Josh's eyes widen. "Y'know, I was just chilling here watching you, wondering how in the world you _didn't_." 

"I definitely drowned. Shit! Fuck my life!" Tyler groans and falls back into the sandbar. He runs his hands through his hair. "Fuck fuck fuck I'm so screwed," the curses just fly from his mouth now like there's no tomorrow. Well, according to Tyler, he doesn't think there's a tomorrow. Not for him, anyway. 

All of a sudden, Tyler's gasping and thrashing around in a panic because he's no longer on the sandbar, he's in the water. And something--someone--has his ankle. 

Josh, impatient with Tyler's stupid fit, sort of offended that he'd dismiss his existence by assuming he was dead, had pulled him down. 

"What the fuck?!" Tyler spits when Josh pulls him back up. Tyler's foot slips across Josh's tail and he shivers with the heebiebajeebies. It feels really real. 

"Sorry, dude, but you wouldn't shut up." 

Tyler shakes out his hair and gives Josh a dirty look. "You could have drowned me," he scolds. 

Josh smiles and hoists himself onto the sandbar, laying out with his tail slightly dipped in the shallow water but his hands behind his head and his eyes closed, much like how Tyler had been resting before encountering Josh. "Well then that proves that you're alive and well. Congratulations. Welcome to my house." 

"Your house?" Tyler shivers a little because it's starting to get cold out. He rubs his hands over his crossed arms and sits a little ways away from Josh. He stares at the tail. 

"The Ocean. My humble abode. The place I hold residence. My dwelling. Y’know.”

Tyler mouths an "oh."

"So anyways as I was saying," Josh starts. He turns so he's lying on his side, facing Tyler. "You're aware of that riptide out there, right?"

Tyler tilts his head to the side. "Riptide?" 

Josh groans and flops backwards. "You're going to get yourself killed, Weird Human," he sighs. "I don't understand how your legs do that so easily. You swam right through that shit without being pulled in the slightest."

"Oh. That's kind of scary. Thanks for telling me," Tyler says, suddenly a little worried about his swim back. He never really considered current changes as a viable threat to his safety. He never really considered his safety whatsoever, actually. Maybe he's a little too comfortable in the ocean. 

“It’s okay. I mean it’s a small one, I barely notice it. But it could get worse in a few days, you never know. But you handled that like a, like a… hmm, what’s the word?” he frowns, rolling over again to face Tyler. He smiles brightly. “A champ.”

Tyler can’t help but chuckle a little.

“So, tell me,” Josh begins. “What brings you out here tonight?”

“I always come out here every morning and every night. Low tides. It’s relaxing,” Tyler shrugs. He twirls his fingers through the sand mindlessly.

“I like this spot too. It’s nice up here.”

“Do you come up here often?” Tyler asks. “What about others? Are their others?” He lays out on his stomach, facing Josh, entranced. Now that he’s sure he’s not dreaming or dead, he has that weird, excited twist in his stomach, the kind that reminds him of his childhood.

Josh laughs and rolls his eyes. “Yeah, dude, I have family and friends, just like you.”

“Why don’t I ever see them?”

“Technically we’re supposed to not interact with humans. You know how it is,” he shrugs. “It’s more of a strong advisory though, not a law. Most people don’t react well, which is why.”

“Oh. Then why did you show yourself to me?”

“Well, you’re reacting well,” Josh smiles. “I dunno. I’m bored. You’re cute.”

Tyler’s cheeks heat. “Well, how’d you know I’d react well?” He challenges. His eyes flick to Josh’s tail. The light from the moon and stars reflect off of the shimmering, colorful scales. Tyler can’t help but stare. Josh almost looks like he’s glowing. Even with a placid face, Josh’s eyes glitter with excitement and his hair flops wildly in the wind and, wow, he’s sitting up on his arm and his shoulders are flexing, holy shit—“You’re a siren or something, aren’t you?” Tyler concludes. 

Josh cackles. “If I were a siren, you wouldn’t know it.” He smirks at Tyler. “Why, am I enticing?”

^v^v^v^v^

Tyler spends the next hour and a half talking to Josh, as if Josh is just a regular person. Well, from the waist up, he _is_ a regular person. The rest of him is where it gets a little, er, _fishy_. It doesn’t really bother Tyler, though. 

He’s sitting with his legs crossed, his fingers running through the sand in front of him and his back against a rock. Josh has his tail dipped in the water and his upper half sprawled out on the sand close next to Tyler.

“Hey I was just thinking of something,” Tyler starts. Josh looks up at him curiously and gestures for him to continue. Josh mindlessly reaches over and taps on Tyler’s kneecaps, captivated by them. They look funny. Josh can’t imagine having two entire limbs to maneuver down there, it must be exhausting.

“Are you a him?”

Josh raises his eyebrows and glances at Tyler, curious again. “Why, are you questioning your sexuality?” he jokes, wiggling his eyebrows.

Tyler laughs, blushes, and nudges Josh’s shoulder. “Why, were you assuming I’m straight? Hereronormative Fish.”

“Touché,” Josh allows.

“Anyways, um, like, I don’t know? I just don’t want to call you the wrong thing.”

Josh leans over and rests his head on Tyler’s shins. He bats his eyelashes. “Aw, you’re going to talk about me to your friends?”

Tyler laughs. “God, like they’d believe me! But, y’know what I mean, right? In general.”

Josh nods. “Yeah, I gotchya.” He thinks it’s sweet that Tyler asked. It makes him feel more validated, like Tyler doesn’t actually think he’s going crazy by seeing a mer-person and actually cares about his existence. You know, for a while Josh never believed in humans, that’s how far Down Under he lived. It goes both ways. “I guess, if you think of it scientifically… or uh, biologically, I could technically be an it? Neither male nor female. But I don’t like that,” Josh laughs. “I ain’t nobody’s pet.” 

Tyler laughs and pats Josh’s head. “Aw, but you’d look so pretty in my basement’s aquarium.” 

Josh shudders. “I don’t know what a basement is. But I don’t like the sound of that.” His eyes dash to the sky and then back to Tyler’s face. “So, yeah. He’s fine. Merman. Nice.” 

Tyler nods and then smirks jokingly. “…Gosh… I guess I am questioning my sexuality a little now…” Josh smacks his leg.

^v^v^v^v^

“Time to go, Rip-Ty,” Josh says. 

“Rip-Ty? That’s a lame pun.”

Josh smiles widely, his face scrunching up like it always does. 

Tyler dips his toes into the water. The tide is rising, it's really dark, but Tyler's a little sad to leave Josh. He hasn't gotten along with someone so well in a while.He never realized he needed the company until he got it.

"Will you come here at tomorrow's first low tide?" Josh asks, a hopeful glint in his eyes. He likes his new human friend. He wants to learn more about him and his kind. 

Tyler finds himself smiling a little. "Yeah, yeah, I will," he says. He wades through the water and then dives under, heading back towards shore. He looks to his side and sees a smiling Josh, those bright eyes and how amazing his hair looked under the water, his wide, goofy smile, shiny teeth, glimmering tail—Tyler resurfaces and takes a breath. "Can I help you?" He asks with a grin, treading water. 

"Bro, what did I tell you about the riptide? I gotta make sure you get back okay," Josh says, genuine concern showing through his eyelashes. He blinks and they brush the tops of his cheeks like butterflies. Butterflies. Those sure oddly exist in Tyler's stomach right now. 

"Oh, okay, thanks," he smiles. 

"Besides, it's only polite to walk you home. Chivalry isn't dead where I come from." 

Tyler reaches out and nudges Josh's shoulder. "Shut up," he mumbles with a blush. Josh giggles and carries on giving Tyler _I'm going to kiss you on your doorstep_ vibes. Tyler shakes his head, smiles to himself, what the hell you're becoming smitten by a god damned merperson, shakes his head again, and submerges under the water. 

Josh chats to Tyler as he swims happily next to him. His voice is even more pleasant under the waves.

When they get to the shallow end of the ocean, only thirty feet away from the beach, Tyler stands up. Josh does a flip under the water to show off a bit and then floats on his back, staring up at Tyler. 

“Okay, have fun doing whatever human things you do,” he says.

Tyler laughs. “Uh, likewise.”

“Tomorrow morning?” Josh asks hopefully again. Tyler’s chest warms. 

He grins and sort of bites on his bottom lip. He gives Josh an affirmative thumbs up and starts to wade out of the water. “Same place, same tide.”


	2. i made you this necklace so you know it's real

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Tail This One Tells: _we're low key each other's only friends and I got all gay and now we're boyfriends_

"Tyler, is it okay if I bring my best friend here, to meet you??" Josh asks him. 

Tyler grins. "Yeah, sure, I'd love to meet your buds," he laughs a little. He feels flustered for some reason. Josh springs forward and wraps his arms around Tyler's shoulders. He falls backwards with surprise. Josh's chest against his, heart rates jump, Tyler feels a little woozy. He smiles and hugs him back. 

"Wait here!! I'll be ten minutes," Josh says, affectionately nuzzling his head against Tyler's cheek. 

His excitement overwhelms Tyler, in a good way of course. He has a giddy feeling bouncing around in his chest. 

Josh flips into the water, his glimmering tail disappearing last. Tyler sits up and sighs. He's visited Josh every possible low tide the past week: the first time he had been wary, because he was afraid it had all been a dream. Every day, though, Josh seems more and more real and Tyler becomes more and more confident in that. 

He feels a twisting sensation in his heart, though. Josh has best friends and a life "Down Under", as Josh likes to call it. Tyler doesn't really have anyone. Not here, at least. His best friend Jenna and the rest of his family lives in Ohio. He spends his summers by himself in his old vacation house in South Carolina, a shack-like residence, because this is where he does his best work, in the salty air, in the waves that feel like home. 

His family and friends support him of course, but it gets lonely. 

He's a bit estranged, to say the least. For God's sake, he hangs out with a _merman_ more than regular humans. If that's not Typical Tyler, he doesn't know what is. 

"Rip-Ty!" Tyler breaks from his lonely thoughts and smiles at Josh, who's floating on his back a few feet out. 

"Hey," Tyler stands up and walks to the edge of the sand bar. He sits down in the shallow water and let's his feet dangle in the area where it drops off. 

Josh swims over and tosses his arms over Tyler's lap, turning his head into his stomach. "His name is Dude." Tyler tilts head head to the side at the odd name but doesn't question him. "And he's a little slow. And shy. Oh! Here he comes!" Josh floats off of Tyler, turning to wave at the turtle shell making its way towards them. 

A Sea Turtle. 

"A sea turtle," Tyler mumbles. Josh flashes him a grin and picks the turtle up by its shell, guiding it to the sand bar. 

"Hey Dude," Josh greets it and sits himself up on the sand bar too. "This is my new friend Tyler I've been telling you about." Tyler grins and hides his blushing face a little. "He likes the water just like us but doesn't have fins or anything." 

Josh turns his head to Tyler, who's mouth is nearly detached from his jaw after it sinks in that Josh is having a conversation with a legitimate sea turtle. "He says he doesn't like you already."

Tyler doesn't even register the insult. "You understand him???" 

Josh laughs, unable to keep a straight face. "Hahaha I'm just kidding! We do hang out a lot but it's just coexisting. Poseidon only knows what the heck he's thinking," Josh says with another chuckle, gently patting the turtle's shell. "He's kind of my pet, I guess. Do you have any?" 

Tyler laughs and smiles, carefully reaching over to touch the shell too. The turtle pulls its limbs and head into the shell. 

"Aw, I guess he really doesn't like me," Tyler frowns. 

"He's just shy, kinda like you!" Josh reassures with a gentle smile. He pats the shell again and rolls over closer to Tyler. He slips into the water and hugs Tyler's legs. "So, any pets?

Tyler reaches forward and runs his fingers through the side of Josh's hair that isn't tangled with seashells and flowers. "Yeah," he smirks. "His name is Josh." Josh sticks his tongue out at him. "I had a cat."

"Had?" Josh tilts his head to the side. "Also, what is a cat?" 

"Well, when I live at home I have a cat. And it's like, a small fuzzy animal. Super cute and cuddly," _kind of like you, Josh,_ "with a small nose and whiskers, pointy ears and a long tail." 

"Oh," Josh says. "Will you bring a cat one day so I can see?" 

Tyler chuckles and runs his fingers through Josh's hair again. "I don't think she'd like the water. I'll bring you a picture, though, next time." 

"A picture??"

"Like, an image of something. I can capture a specific real life image so I can remember it forever. Like taking notes but you can visualize it. If that makes sense."

"Oh cool!! Teach me!!"

He laughs and Josh's squeezes his arms around Tyler's waist. 

"I need a special device to do that. Like a thing called a camera, or my cell-phone."

"Ooo. What's a cell-phone?" 

"It's a technological thing that I use to call my family back home with. You can do a lot of things on it, like send messages and scroll through the Internet, which is where people share information and pictures and stuff like that."

"Ohh, okay, I think I get it. Well, can you bring me a picture of you that I can keep?" Josh asks, a little shy. He squeezes Tyler's waist again. He nods and mumbles a small 'sure'. "Also, where is home for you, Tyler?" 

"Ohio. It's really far from here."

"Aww. Can I swim there??" 

Tyler's face falls and he shakes his head. "There's no ocean there, unfortunately."

Josh frowns too. He gently lays his head down on Tyler's lap. "Im moving to LA once the summer's over, though. That's close to an ocean." 

"No way!" Josh excitedly lifts his head up and flips backwards. "We go to that side at the end of summers, since it gets too icky and cold here!! It's a big, week long trip. We make stops all through the coasts. I look forward to it every year. I'll get to see you!" 

Tyler finds himself smiling really broadly. "Thank God, you're my only friend!" He blurts. 

Josh floats closer to Tyler again, calming down. He reaches up and gently hugs Tyler, his only friend, too. 

^v^v^v^v^v^v^v

"I was getting worried that you drowned," Josh says when he sees Tyler climb onto the sand bar. He walks over to where Josh is sun bathing and chooses a flat rock to sit on next to him. 

"Sorry about that, Jish--" 

"Jish?"

"Josh Fish," Tyler teases. Josh makes a face but secretly thinks the name is cute. "Anyways, I went slow today and didn't spend so much time underwater. I wanted to make sure I didn't water damage any of the stuff I brought," he says. Josh watches as Tyler takes a backpack off of his back. The backpack drips with water but he had layered the inside with several plastic bags. 

"Oo, neat!" Josh grins excitedly and sits up, his tail swinging to the side as he leaned closer to Tyler. 

"This," Tyler starts, taking his phone out of an plastic bag, "is my cell phone. Smile, Josh," he says, holding up the phone to take a picture. Josh gives him his best smile, bright eyes and everything. Tyler turns the phone around for Josh to see. 

"Oh, that's me!" He exclaims, holding the phone carefully in his hands. "Gosh, I'm cute. Aren't I cute, Ty?" 

Tyler laughs. "Adorable." 

"You're cute too. I like looking at you." Tyler blushes. 

"I felt weird taking a picture of myself, so let's take one together and then I'll print it out for you next time," he suggests shyly. Josh agrees excitedly and scoots over on the rock for Tyler to sit next to him.

Tyler flips the screen for selfie purposes and climbs over to sit next to Josh. "Can I try it?" Josh asks. 

"Yeah, sure. You just lightly tap that button when you're ready and it will snap the picture." 

"This one??" Josh hits the home button by accident and frowns when he doesn't see his face anymore. "What's a Twitter??" He asks, squinting his eyes at all the apps. 

Tyler laughs and gently takes the phone. "I'll show you that another time. Here," he shows him where to open the camera app again and points to the proper shutter button. 

"Okay," Josh says and he leans into Tyler. They both flash squinty smiles at the camera and Josh presses the button. He ends up holding it down and accidentally snapping thirty two pictures in one burst. "Woah!" 

Tyler laughs. "You just have to tap it once, wild animal." Josh turns his head and giggles. He leans into Tyler and kisses his cheek while snapping another burst of twenty three pictures. Tyler glances at Josh with just his eyes. His lips feel really nice on his cheek. 

"Gosh that's a sensitive button," he says. He makes a funny face and takes more pictures. 

"Alright, you're just doing that on purpose now," Tyler laughs, making funny faces into the camera with him. 

"Can I go underwater with this?"

"Ah, no, technology shouldn't get wet. I'll get a waterproof case for next time, how about that?" 

"Okay, sure." He hands the phone back to Tyler. He puts it back into the plastic bags and seals them tightly before placing it into the backpack. "What else do you have in there?" Josh leans forward curiously. 

"Not much, just some earphones, my journal, and a book I think you'd like." 

"Explain!!" Josh encourages. "Eh one sec," he says; he rolls off of the rocks and projects himself into the water. When he resurfaces he flips his hair around and then he lifts himself up onto the rocks again. "I got hot." 

Tyler is bold and bats his eyelashes. "Because I'm here, right?" 

He expects Josh to joke back, but instead he sort of bites on his bottom lip, eyes glossed over a little. "Right." 

Tyler coughs a little, flustered, and looks back at his backpack. Josh sits close next to Tyler with his hand resting on his thigh. 

"Okay well um, these earphones you can listen to music with, plugged into your ears obviously. But I don't know why I brought them because I can just play it out loud."

"Show me your favorite song!!" 

"Hmm, okay..." Josh tilts his head into Tyler's shoulder as he searches through his music library. 

"Death and all his friends? That's a lil morbid sounding, Ty."

Tyler simply shakes his head. "I love this song. You'll like it." 

"Okay," Josh smiles. Tyler makes sure his backpack is secure and then leans backwards on the rock so he's laying down. He puts the phone on his chest and let's the music play. 

Josh stays where he is, watching Tyler engross himself into the song. It's a pretty sight. 

And Tyler was right. Josh does like the song, something about the instruments in the beginning has a nice ocean-y vibe to it. The softness of the singer and the piano. Josh lays down next to Tyler and puts his arm under and around him, so his head has a comfier place to rest. 

" _All summer we just hurried, so come over, just be patient, and don't worry,_ " Tyler sings along. He cranes his neck to look at Josh's face, to study his reactions, his cheek pressing into Josh's arm. 

Josh's eyes squint in content. He likes Tyler's voice. He likes it a lot. Tyler leans his head against Josh's shoulder. 

When the song ends, the two are silent for a few minutes. 

"I liked that," Josh finally says. "Don't worry," he repeats some lyrics back. He turns his head to look at Tyler more directly. Their faces are close, inches apart, Tyler's still on Josh's shoulder. Josh has a serious look on his face, a bit out of character for him. "All summer. You'll be here all summer. You can come here all summer, if you like, and I'll be patient for you, and--" 

Tyler leans up and kisses Josh gently and shyly, yet bravely, on the lips. He doesn't need Josh to explain those words to him, although he loves to hear Josh speak, he already knows what he's trying to say. He loves that Josh understands the song already. 

Josh sighs a little, even more contently than before, and kisses Tyler back. When they pull away, both of their cheeks brighten up, but they both smile at each other. 

"W-wow, Tyler. That was gay."

"Oh my god!" Tyler laughs out loud and goes to roll away from Josh, but he catches him and pulls him back closer. Tyler hides his face into Josh's chest. 

"Im just kidding, Ty."

"I know," he murmurs. But he doesn't move away. He likes having Josh's arms around him. 

"I always thought I was going to do that first. Because I'm gayer than you and all," Josh continues. Tyler laughs again. 

He pulls away and looks at Josh, licking his lips. "Mm, tastes like salmon. My favorite." 

A horrified look strikes Josh's face. "My Uncle is a salmon!"

"Wait, really??" 

"Nah, I'm just playin' again. I think they're delicious too." He leans forward and kisses Tyler's heated cheeks. "Like you."

^v^v^v^v^v^

"Show me that one with the frog again."

Tyler laughs out loud and rolls back, holding his stomach. "Pepe???"

"Yea! Pepe!"

"God, Josh," he continues to laugh. 

"What??? It's relatable." Tyler basically face palms, half regretting showing Josh all of the memes from the Internet but enjoying the laughter and silliness. 

The low tide tonight is earlier in the night: the sun hasn't even set yet. It's about to. This is the first low tide evening they've been together where there's a sun set. 

Tyler leans back and gazes at the colors, putting his phone on the rock next to him. 

Josh scoots closer to Tyler's right side, flips his tail up, turns his arm inward for him to see. "This is where all these colors come from," Josh explains. 

Tyler smiles and traces the tattoos on Josh's arm. 

"They're beautiful."

"You should see the sunset underwater, Ty, it's even better." 

"I wish!" 

"C'mon!!" Josh encourages, slipping into the water and tugging on Tyler's arm. 

"Nooo."

Josh pouts. "Please Ty. You'll love it."

"Josh, are you _trying_ to kill me?!" Tyler chuckles. "I can't breathe under there long enough to really see it." 

"You're no fun," Josh continues to pout and folds his arms on the rock, resting his head there. 

"I'll be even less fun if I'm dead." Tyler leans over and ruffles his hair. "That's the equivalent of me asking you over to my house... to, like, watch Netflix and chill. Underwater sunset my ass." 

Josh picks his head up. "What is a Netflix? Bring it next time, I'm so intrigued."

"Joshhhh. It's another thing that goes along with technology. Technology and water don't mix. Same with fish and dry land. And human lungs and underwater sunsets." 

Josh nods, understanding. "Except, you put your phone under water just the other day?" 

"Waterproof case, remember?" 

Josh's face lights up. He remembers, because suddenly he snatches Tyler's phone from the nearby rock and dives under the water. Tyler laughs and shakes his head, leaning back on his palms. 

Josh comes back up a few minutes later, grinning. "I took a bunch of pictures of all of the plants and coral in the sunset. They don't do it justice. I also took about fifty three selfies of my face." 

"Oh my god Josh," Tyler laughs and sets his phone to the side again. He opens his arms for him. Josh wiggles up and hugs Tyler's waist. 

"Hey, Ty?" 

Tyler hums, twirling his fingers through Josh's pink hair. "Are you-Er, are you my human boyfriend?" 

Tyler immediately stops moving, everything stops except his heart which suddenly starts going a lot faster. Josh tilts his face up, his chin on Tyler's stomach. 

"Human boyfriend? Why, do you have a bunch of other boyfriends Down Under, too?" Tyler jokes. It's all he can think of saying because the way Josh is looking at him right now makes him feel weak, in a good way, but his mind is sort of on the fritz all of a sudden and his arms are tingling at the same rate as Josh's twinkling eyes and his nervous breathing blowing on his bare chest, God, Josh's stare is making him feel a certain way and Tyler has to blink and hold himself back from asking if Josh is a siren again, because _damn_ he's attractive. 

"You know what I mean," Josh mumbles shyly, pressing the side of his face into Tyler's stomach. 

Tyler gently runs his fingers through Josh's hair. "Do you want to be?" He asks quietly. His chest is tight. "Um," he swallows, "be my boyfriend, I mean?"

Josh looks up again. He nods and leans up, linking his arms around Tyler's neck now instead of his waist. "Yes. If that's okay with you."

Tyler smiles and leans forward, kissing him again. "Yeah, yeah, it is," he breathes against his lips. 

Josh grins. "And it's just you," he adds. "Just you." 

"Just you," Tyler repeats. Josh sweetly peppers kisses all around Tyler's face. 

"Wow, your kisses are so soft," Tyler whispers. 

Josh grins. "It's a mer thing. We're _soothers_." He kisses the corners of Tyler's mouth. 

"Are their any other mer things?" Tyler asks, his breath a little shaky, distracted by the kisses but genuinely interested. Josh pulls away. 

"Well, sort of, little things. They don't seem special to me because it's common amongst all of us."

"Like what?" Tyler presses excitedly. 

"For example, when I asked you if you were my human boyfriend, I knew you were going to say yes--"

"Omg," Tyler blurts out. "You can READ MINDS???" 

Josh laughs and shakes his head. "Gosh I wish! I mean, I guess this is closely related to that but not quite. But it's not as invasive, don't worry." 

Tyler blushes a little for some reason. "Okay, what is it?" 

"Think of me as a living, breathing, mood ring. Well," he leans over and playfully kisses across Tyler's collarbone, _God_ Josh, "think of me as your boyfriend first." Tyler breathes out and nods. "I can feel what you're feeling. I know when you're having a bad day and when not to tease you as much, if you're sensitive that day or something. I know when you're happy or nervous or relaxed."

"Oh," Tyler says. "That sounds useful."

Josh nods and smiles. "It is. 'Cause I knew you had a crush on me before _you_ knew you had a crush on me." 

^v^v^v^v^v^

"Josh?" Tyler walks around their spot. "Josh-y," he sings. 

"Im over hereeee," Josh sings back, floating up and around the side of some rocks. 

"What're you doing in there?" Tyler laughs and kneels down next to the water, where Josh is almost entirely submerged except for literally his face. It's quite a sight. 

"I wanna be in the water. Come in?" 

Tyler nods and carefully goes in, trying not to splash Josh. "You okay?" He asks, treading water in front of him. 

Josh smiles. "Yes. I brought something for you and I didn't want you to see it yet," he says, still floating there with only his face showing. 

"Aww."

"Yeah, um, I get kind of worried sometimes, because I am afraid you don't think I'm real--"

"Josh--"

"No, no, it's okay, just listen." Josh reaches out underwater and takes Tyler's hands. Tyler has a little trouble taking Josh seriously with just his face showing because, shoot, he looks hilarious, but he just focuses on Josh's hands in his so he doesn't hurt his feelings by laughing. "I can feel your doubt sometimes. Your doubt in yourself and your doubt in me. But I just want you to know that even though it's a little weird I guess, I'm real." He grins and squeezes Tyler's hand. "I’m real and Incredibly Gay for you." 

Tyler can't help but laugh. Even though Josh is right. He doubts sometimes. 

Josh let's his head out of the water. He separates his hands from Tyler's and reaches to the back of his neck. Tyler notices a seashell necklace hanging from Josh's neck. He undoes the clasp. 

"I made this for you," Josh says, leaning forward and putting the necklace around Tyler's neck. Tyler holds his hands on Josh's sides as he inches closer, looking over his shoulder to clasp the necklace. He kisses the crook of his neck when he's done. 

Tyler reaches up and toys the necklace in between his fingers. He wraps his other arm around Josh's neck to keep him close. "I love it Josh. Thank you." 

Josh smiles warmly and kisses Tyler. "So when you wake up tomorrow morning, you know it's real."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for all the sweet comments guys!! i'm so happy you're enjoying reading this; i'm enjoying writing it! i can't stop haha! i couldn't decide if i wanted to just do chapters or a bunch of parts in a series, but i didn't feel like making a new story completely and voted on chapters. not that it matters anyway. i'm just a sucker for particular organization haha. 
> 
> anyways
> 
> thank you for reading!!


	3. no offense but i wouldn’t give my tail up for feet, even for you ty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Tail This One Tells: _I never realized how boring humans can be until I met you and now suddenly I really don't want to be one_

“This one’s my favorite,” Josh says, pulling out another shiny rock from his satchel. He carefully places it down next to the line of other rocks and seashells, which were a part of his collection.

Tyler is laying on his stomach on the sandbar, toying another rock delicately in his hands. He places it back in the line and looks up at the ecstatic looking Josh who is wading in the water across from him. 

“These are so pretty,” Tyler says. 

“Thanks!! I find them in the parts of the ocean my family says you’re not supposed to go in.”

“Josh!” Tyler gasps. “Please be careful.”

“I always am, babe,” Josh flashes a charming grin. He sets his palms into the sand and lifts himself up across the rock collection, placing a chaste kiss on Tyler’s forehead. 

Tyler smiles softly. When Josh sinks back into the water, Tyler leans forward and grabs his head, twisting his fingers through the long, knotty, pink hair, decorated with flowers and seaweeds and shells. “I don’t know what goes on down there… and I won’t lie and say it doesn’t make me nervous,” Tyler mumbles. 

Josh reaches up and grabs Tyler’s hands from out of his hair, holding them delicately in his own hands, just like the rocks, but even more precious. “Hey, it’s okay. It’s mostly empty and calm, except the coral reefs have a lot of nasty traffic. I stay away from sharks just like you stay away from, I don’t know, what are they called? Bears? It’s the same thing.”

Tyler nods. “So you’re safe?”

“Of course I’m safe, silly,” Josh smiles and starts to put his rock collection away. “It’s my home. Y’know, the land seems a lot more terrifying than the ocean.”

Tyler shrugs. When Josh has his collection packed up, Tyler reaches his arms out and asks for him. Josh lays between his legs and hugs his middle, resting his head on Tyler’s thigh. Like usual, Tyler finds his hands gently massaging through Josh’s hair.

“Really? But the ocean is so vast and undiscovered. There’s so much out there that we don’t even know about.”

“That _you_ don’t even know about.” Josh lifts himself up a little more, his chin on Tyler’s chest. “You didn’t even know mermaids were a thing. Imagine all of the other things that I know and you don’t,” he teases, wiggling his eyebrows. 

“Josh, you don’t go in those really deep and dark trenches, do you?” 

“Noo way, I’m afraid of the dark!” He lifts himself up even more, wrapping his arms around Tyler’s neck. He presses his face into his neck and shakes his head. 

“Okay, well, that’s good.” 

“Besides, you humans are so murderous and stuff, I’d be scared to walk down a street if I were you. The ocean’s deep and dark trenches are just like, oh what are they called? Alley ways? Yeah, I could get killed by a anglerfish and you could get stabbed.”

Tyler laughs. “That’s true, I try to avoid alleys. I’m probably more likely to get murdered up here than you are to get bit by a shark, then?”

“Yup.” 

“Well that’s strangely comforting, I guess.” 

Josh laughs and slackens his arms around Tyler’s neck. He starts to run his fingers through Tyler’s hair. “Your hair has gotten longer.”

“Yeah, I let it grow out a bit,” Tyler replies. 

“I like it,” Josh declares. And then, without warning and sort of forgetting his boundaries, he jumps back into the water, pulling Tyler along with him. Tyler, of course, is caught off guard and takes a nice gulp of salt water. He thrashes around in a panic and struggles to break the surface of the water. Once he does, he has a coughing fit at the edge of the sandbar. 

“Dude!” Tyler shouts once he’s recovered.

“Shit, I’m sorry, I forgot again,” Josh regrets worriedly. He tosses himself up onto the sandbar and wraps his arms around Tyler, hugging him tightly. Tyler shrugs him off and gives him an unimpressed look. 

“That’s the fourth time this week, and it’s only Wednesday, Josh,” he scolds.

“I’m sorry,” he pouts. “I just wanted to see how your hair looked underwater. Please don’t break up with me.”

Tyler sighs, his heart aching at how upset Josh looks for almost drowning him again. The last time it happened, they were talking about their land and sea friends, and Josh got too excited and dragged Tyler far down because he wanted him to meet everyone. 

“It’s okay,” Tyler says. He places his hand on the side of his face and leans in, kissing him firmly. “Don’t worry about it.” He kisses him again. “And I don’t plan on it,” he smiles. Josh grins. 

“Okay. Are you okay??” Tyler nods. “Okay. Well, um, hi, can you join me underwater for a few short moments so I can admire your hair?” 

Tyler laughs and rolls his eyes. “Yes, sure, thanks for asking nicely.”

Josh grins and carefully takes Tyler’s hand, slipping into the water and looking over his shoulder to make sure Tyler is okay. Tyler takes a deep breath and goes underwater with Josh. 

Josh smiles at Tyler, lifting up and running his fingers through his boyfriend’s now free flowing hair. Tyler smiles too because he always loves seeing how beautiful Josh looks underwater, in his natural environment, and he wishes that he could see it more. 

After a few minutes of just staring at each other, Tyler’s head starts to feel heavy and he nods to the surface. They swim up and he heaves in a deep breath.

“I wish I didn’t have to breathe. I like it down there,” he says with a small frown. Josh just smiles, though.

“It’s okay. I’ll take what I can get.” He leans forward and kisses Tyler’s cheek. 

They spend the rest of the afternoon sunbathing together on the sandbar, Tyler falling asleep to the comforting feeling of Josh weaving seashells and flowers into his hair. 

^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v

“What. The. Heck. Is. This?!” Josh exclaims, poking at Tyler’s skin. “It’s like you’re a freshly cooked crab! All red and tender! What the sea barnacles!”

“It’s just sunburn, Josh,” Tyler laughs. “And that hurts,” he adds, taking Josh’s hands in his own to keep him from poking at the burns. 

“Oh. I’ve never seen that before.” 

“Really? I don’t get it that often but when I do—” he pauses and touches the burn on his stomach, hissing at the contact “—it sucks.”

“That’s just cruel. What makes it go away?”

“Um, soothing things like aloe or cream. And time. Sometimes it’ll turn into tan and sometimes it’ll peel off.”

“Ewwww.”

Tyler rolls his eyes. “Or, I bet, merperson lips would probably feel really good, too.” 

“I’m not kissing your dead, soon to be peeling, skin,” Josh shakes his head. “Forget it.”

Tyler pouts. “Aw, pleaseeee. It really hurts, really really badly, ow.”

“You’re lucky I like you,” Josh says, delicately running his fingers across Tyler’s slightly burnt cheeks. He kisses his nose, first. Tyler wasn’t actually expecting anything magical to happen but was surprised at how soothing the sensation was. He sighs in relief.

“No more forgetting sun-scream or whatever you call it, mister. I command that you take care of yourself,” Josh says.

Tyler laughs and closes his eyes as Josh runs his lips across his cheek bones. “Sun screen,” he says lightheartedly. “And I know, I just get so caught up in your company that I forget about myself for a bit.”

“Well. That is no longer allowed.” Josh continues to kiss Tyler’s burnt spots, mainly his shoulders and stomach. “There. All better?” He looks up at Tyler, who nods. 

“Yes, actually. Thank you,” Tyler says, sitting up next to Josh. He tilts his head on his shoulder but then picks his head up, smudging the water droplets off of his face. “Do you ever dry off, dude?” 

“What are you talking about? I _am_ dry,” he says, grinning at the water drops on his shoulder and then back up to Tyler’s face. Tyler just laughs and rolls his eyes. “It’s the mer way of life.”

Tyler sighs. “Sometimes I hate being completely human.” 

Josh frowns and pulls Tyler down, so they’re laying down together. Josh’s tail dips lazily into the water. “It’s making me feel like The Little Mermaid, but the opposite,” Tyler says. 

“What’s that?” 

“Oh! Gosh, we gotta watch that together. It’s an old movie, and suddenly it’s become my favorite.”

“Well, how do we watch it?” 

“Remember when I told you all about Netflix??” 

Josh breaks out into a large grin. “I have an idea!!”

Josh has a better grasp on his understanding of technology and that it can’t get wet. “I don’t know if this will work, but if you’re up for it, really late tonight, like, three in the morning just to be safe, we can meet at a pier that I swim by sometimes. You can sit on the dock with the Netflix and I can hold myself up and watch it with you. Can we do that??”

“Hey, that’s actually a really good idea, Josh,” Tyler says. “Tonight?”

“Yes!! I can get to basially any pier, so you just go to whichever one is easiest for you and I promise I’ll be able to find you, okay?” 

“Okay, that sounds perfect. It’s a date.”

Josh grins excitedly and leans up, kissing Tyler’s cheek a few times. “A date!!” 

v^v^v^v^v^v

The night air is cold and Tyler is glad he’s wearing a sweatshirt. He sits down on the dock and anxiously looks out to the sea. He hopes he picked an okay one for Josh to get to, and he worries that he won’t show up, or that he’ll get lost, or, worse, spotted by a stray fisherman. He wraps his arms around his legs and closes his eyes a little, they are heavy from lack of sleep. Plus, it’s literally three in the morning and no matter how much he napped before this, he was bound to be a little extra tired.

“Babe!” Josh cheers excitedly when he swims up to the dock, seeing Tyler sitting there. “Good morning,” Josh giggles, kissing Tyler’s knee. He props himself up and leans his head on his folded arms, easily supporting himself there. 

Tyler smiles. “Hey, Josh.” 

“You look sleepy and disgruntled,” Josh laughs. “I think you spend too much time in the water with me. I’m afraid your skin is going to start to prune.”

“Shut up, you’re supposed to be nice on a date,” Tyler says back. “But you’re right, and I think I have sand permanently in my pores. I don’t even care, though,” he says. He leans down and kisses the top of his boyfriend’s head. 

“Okay, show me this Netflix thing!!” Josh says excitedly, leaning forward on his arms. 

Tyler smiles and takes his computer out of his backpack. Josh’s eyes go wide as he takes it in. Tyler uses a hotspot on his phone’s 3G to get internet access and logs into his Netlfix account. Then, he clicks on The Little Mermaid. He pauses it before it starts. 

“Well this is a whole other world I wasn’t prepared for,” Josh says, narrowing his eyes at the bright computer screen. “This is incredible.”

“Yeah, computers are great. You can type on them and stuff. I keep a lot of my writing on here. And there’s a lot of different places you can go online. It’s crazy.” 

“Wow,” Josh breathes. 

“Okay, one sec,” Tyler says. He scoots his computer back and takes off his sweatshirt, folding it neatly next to his bag. Then he slides into the water next to Josh, shivering. He folds his arms up onto the dock just like Josh, but then Josh drops his right arm to wrap it around Tyler’s shivering side. “I wanted to be next to you,” Tyler says, pulling the computer closer to them. 

Josh smiles and nuzzles his head against Tyler’s shoulder affectionately. 

When they watch the movie, Josh is completely silent. Josh is amazed with the way the pictures moved on the screen. He loved the songs, especially when Tyler sang along to them quietly. 

“That was cute,” Josh says when the credits roll through. Tyler smiles and leans up, carefully putting his computer back in its case and then into his backpack. Then he sets himself up on the edge of the dock, keeping his legs in the water. Josh hugs his shins and rests his head on his thighs. 

“You liked it?”

“It was cool, yeah. Sappy, though,” he teases. “I’ll be asking you to sing that one song to me a lot from now on, okay? The part of your world one.”

Tyler smiles and laughs. “Whatever your heart desires.” He also grimaces internally at how much that stupid movie hit home for him. He just wants to be part of Josh’s world.

“I think the movie was really cool, but, I mean, I kinda wanted to guage my eyeballs out Tyler. Tyler, she was in _love_ with the prince dude and she never even talked to him. Tyler it wasn’t even three days. I’ve known you for five weeks and I’ve only just started to like you,” Josh says.

“Awww, you like me??”

“Don’t make me pull you into the water, Ty,” Josh threatens. Tyler laughs.

“Yeah, you’re right, that part does seem ridiculous. But it was a lot more than just being in love. It’s about following your dreams, y’know, the classic Disney way.”

Josh hums. “Yeah, that’s true. No offense Tyler but I wouldn’t give up my tail for feet, even for you, sorry,” he admits. He flicks his tail up and admires the colors. 

Tyler admires them, too. “Yeah, I wouldn’t want you to do that. I wouldn’t mind getting rid of these, on the other hand,” Tyler says, kicking his feet a little. Josh just smiles and kisses Tyler’s hands. 

“I’ll take you in any way I can get, Ty,” Josh says sweetly. Tyler nods and smiles, but the tag line _follow your dreams_ is stuck in his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> omg yay another chapter!! guys i absolutely LOVE that you like this, it makes me so happy because i have honestly turned into a sucker for hybrid type Josh's. He's just so damn cute. Thank you SO much for reading this!! there's going to be one more chapter of this, and then another part with four chapters too :)


	4. we'll meet again very soon. the right place, the right tide.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Tail This One Tells: : _i wasn’t much of an environmentalist before I met you but now all of a sudden climate change and pollution feels personal_

“And sometimes, I come to the surface just so I can cry. I’m edgy like that,” Josh says. They are lying on their sandbar side by side, arms loosely linked around each other’s necks. Josh twirls his fingers through Tyler’s grown out hair. 

“How come? Why would you want to do that?” 

“I can’t cry underwater. Nobody cries. But sometimes, I don’t know how to explain it, I get this tight lumpy feeling in my neck and it makes it hard to see, so I swim up and something about letting water out of my eyes makes me feel better,” Josh explains. 

Tyler hums. “I get that. Crying makes me feel better, too.” 

Josh frowns. “Why do you cry? You shouldn’t cry. You’re perfect.” He rolls over and flops onto his stomach, sifting sand through his fingertips. 

“To be fair, I don’t cry much anymore,” Tyler smiles and rolls over too. Josh starts piling sand up and patting it down. “Maybe next time I’ll bring molds for a sand castle,” he half jokes. “Take me back to childhood.” 

“You can be a grown man and like castles still, buddy. I love castles. I am a magical being after all. Practically royalty!” 

“My Prince!” Tyler grins, rolling back over onto his back. 

Josh giggles. “If we marry, I’ll make you a King.”

Tyler’s face heats. “So you merpeople get married and stuff down there, too? What’s that like?” 

“Oh yes. We have big celebrations. Flowers and shells everywhere, yummy herbs that gets everyone super excitable and sometimes loopy—”

“Hold up. Like, sea marijuana?” 

“Not sure what a marijuana is, but sure. We merpeople know how to throw a party. I love special occasions. Weddings are my favorite.” Josh smiles and sits up, reaching to his bag for his collection of shells and sea plants. He beckons Tyler over and starts to weave the beautiful flowers into his hair. “This is our version of getting all dressed up. We’d pick the same kind of flower and both wear it in our hair. We’d get matching necklaces and tattoos. We can pick out our rock and bring it to the shop to get rings made from the same stone. Ugh! I can’t wait,” Josh gushes. 

Tyler smiles and reaches up, gently taking Josh’s hand from his hair. He pulls him forward, Josh’s chest against Tyler’s back, and holds his hands to his heart. “It sounds wonderful.” 

After a few quite moments, basking in each other’s company, Tyler speaks again. “You know, you guys seem way less violent and manipulative than the human stories describe you as. Unless you’re manipulating me right now.”

Josh chuckles. “Oh yeah. You guys are way off. We learn about our history in school and also the human’s version of us. It’s kind of disappointing. Except The Little Mermaid. You got that one right.” 

“Humans, we think we know everything,” Tyler jokes with an eye roll. 

“Yeah, you’re also morbid as shit! Basically you guys think our mythical purpose is to cause chaos and destruction, lure men to their deaths, bathe in blood, et cetera, et cetera.” 

Tyler shrugs. “Yeah and you’re the least violent creature I’ve ever come across,” he muses. 

“Don’t test me,” Josh teases, wiggling his eyebrows. Tyler nudges his arm. 

“I’m way more likely to get murdered by own species than you are getting bit by a shark, so, yeah, I guess we are morbid.” 

“You’re the only human I like.”

“I’m the only human you know,” Tyler points out. 

“I guess you caught me there,” Josh smiles. He slips into the water, refreshing himself. He feels that tight lumpy feeling in his neck all of a sudden. Underwater, he takes a couple calming breaths. Sometimes, he gets so overwhelmed by his adoration for Tyler that it makes him emotional.

Tyler feels the same way a lot of the time—really the only reason why he still cries at night sometimes. He’s not really sad anymore like he used to be, but as he gazes through the rippling waters at Josh’s distorted image, his throat tightens up. He wishes he could join him Down Under. He wishes he could feel what Josh was feeling in that moment. 

Josh swims back to the surface and flashes his classic toothy grin in Tyler’s direction, flipping his hair back. “Come swimming, it’s almost time for you to go,” he says warmly. 

Tyler smiles and slides into the water. He wraps his arms around Josh’s shoulders, Josh holding his hands on Tyler’s hips, and they sway together underwater. Like slow dancing, but wading. They kiss. Something about kissing under the waves sends a surge of electricity through Tyler’s body. They kiss again and again. Tyler lets out a sigh of relief. Another kiss, and he takes a deep breath.

“Ty!” Josh sees Tyler start to take in the breath and cries out, damning himself for getting carried away and not letting him up for air sooner. 

But instead of rising to the surface in a panic, sputtering out salt water, Tyler opens his eyes and blinks at Josh. He doesn’t pass out and sink, either; in fact, nothing happens. 

Alarmed and intrigued, the couple floats to the surface. Tyler takes a regular breath. It feels no different than the underwater one. 

“What just happened?” 

“Did you just breathe underwater?”

“I think so. Why did that work? What in the world?” 

“Mermaid magic and the power of being in love?” Josh offers weakly, honestly in a little bit of shock. He still feels frazzled from the idea of Tyler accidently drowning in his company. 

The passing of the word love doesn’t even affect Tyler in this moment. His head spins as he wonders what made this time underwater with Josh different than any other time. 

“Should we try it again?” 

Josh bites his lip. “I don’t want to mess up and witness your death, Rip-Ty,” he says shyly. 

Tyler grins. “You can give me CPR, I don’t mind.”

Josh sticks his bottom lip out. “Babe.” 

“Josh, don’t you see? This could help us. We gotta look into this!” Tyler says excitedly. 

“Lemme talk to my parents about it first before we try anything again, okay? Please? I’ll do my research. I don’t know why I didn’t before!” 

“Okay, deal. And yeah, I don’t know why I didn’t either. I figured you knew all about the magical things you can do.” 

“Me too. I guess we don’t have much practice with humans, though. Don’t worry, we’ve got an entire library of lore I can look through. Looks like I have to break the news to my parents, though,” Josh says, his cheeks turning pink. 

Tyler grins. “Break what news?” He plants a kiss on his cheek. 

“Ugh. That I’m dating a human.” 

Tyler grins more. “You haven’t gushed about me to your fam yet?” 

“Ugh, Ty. I’ve resisted the urge.”

Tyler hums. “Will they be mad?”

“I don’t think so. They aren’t orthodox. It’s just awkward. I haven’t really dated before… they’ll bombard me with questions.”

“Ha, I totally get that. It’s okay.”

“Wish me luck. They’ll be all like,” Josh scrunches his nose up, “ _How did you meet? Where is he from? Are you in love?_ ”

Tyler chuckles and holds Josh’s hand. “And what will you say?”

“At the sandbar, low tide, same place every time. Ohio, but he visits South Carolina often, and he’s moving to California at the same time as us.”

“And?” 

Josh blushes, squeezing Tyler’s hand. “And very much so in love.” 

^v^v^v^v^v^v^v

Tyler sits anxiously on the rocks, scanning the vast, seemingly empty waters for Josh. They were supposed to meet half an hour ago. The separation anxiety between the two had more intense moments than others, but today it’s particularly bad for Tyler. Normally, Josh is already waiting for him at their spot. He was the better swimmer, after all. 

Tyler stands up, squinting his eyes and continuing to analyze the ocean. The suns beams on the ripping waters creates differences in shades, but today, there’s one spot that seems darker than normal. And it’s getting closer. 

“For fuck’s sake!” All of a sudden, Josh appears behind Tyler, who jumps in alarm. Josh sputters and coughs, pulling himself up onto the sandbar.

“Josh! What happened to you? What is all this?” Tyler kneels next to the distressed Josh. He’s covered in black sludge—oil—and a net of thin wire is tangled around his fin. 

“I couldn’t get it off,” Josh cries. “Help me.” 

Tyler carefully sits next to Josh, deciding how to untangle him from the wire without hurting him more. “Jishwa,” he coos. “How did this happen?” 

“It’s everywhere, Ty. I got stuck in a bad current by mistake. I didn’t realize it was there until too late. I got swept off course which normally isn’t a big deal but this time it tossed me in the middle of an oil rig graveyard. It doesn’t operate but the area is a mess. It’s building up a lot of oil too.” 

“Oh no. An oil spill? I didn’t hear about this. I can call someone and report it!” 

“No, no, not, a major spill. They all do this. All of your damn oil rigs leak oil, apparently a regulated amount so nobody does anything about it. But then it builds up and floats to my town and we have to evacuate. I guess it’s good that I found the spot so I can warn everyone. But fuck! This is the third time this year and it’s always a pain to clean. And the kids get sick easier. This sucks!” Josh starts to cry again, but not into his hands because they are sticky with oil. 

“Oh, babe, I’m so sorry.” Tyler frowns, feeling somewhat guilty and responsible on behalf of his species. He carefully unwinds the wire from around Josh’s fin, gently sliding his hand across a scratch on his scales. “Are you in pain?”

“No, no, it’s fine. I’m sorry, it’s not your fault. It’s just… it’s everywhere.” Josh lifts his hands up and sits uncomfortably, dipping the end of his tail in the water but otherwise not knowing what to do with the rest of him. His hair is matted and tangled with oil, dripping down his cheeks and splashed across his chest. 

Tyler doesn’t know what to do, either. “How do you normally clean up?” 

“We have sea scrubs,” Josh sniffles. “I’ll make do with mossy rocks. Can you bring some over here please?” 

Tyler jumps up and looks at all the rocks. There are a few big rocks with moss on them, but too big to carry or use as a scrub. He digs around the shallow water in between the rocks and is able to find a couple smaller ones. “Here you go. How else can I help?” 

“Just comfort me, please,” Josh mumbles. 

Tyler smiles gently and sits next to Josh, rubbing his back with a mossy rock against his palm. He’s able to smooth away the sludge dripping between Josh’s shoulder blades. The worst of it is in his hair, though, which Josh starts to handle himself.

“No offense Ty, but your species is kind of ruining my life. More importantly my hair,” he mutters. 

Tyler sits up behind Josh and helps him with his hair. The rocks and flowers already in his hair are stained and ruined. “I’ll find you more flowers for your hair, Joshy,” he murmurs, feeling horrible seeing him like this. Josh’s hair is so much of his personality and spirit, seeing it blackened and ruined like this upsets him. 

“Thank you. Gotta be all pretty for my man.” 

“Hey, you’re beautiful even like this.” 

Josh smiles. “Thanks, Ty. I’m almost clean. I should go home and talk to my family and wash myself better. I just wanted to see you for a little.”

“Aww, okay. That’s probably a good idea.”

“I’ll be back tonight! Same place, low tide. Write me a song today?” 

“You got it,” Tyler says with a kiss. “Swim safe, please.”

“I love you, Tyler,” Josh says, diving into the water and floating away on his back. 

Tyler smiles in awe. Josh’s toothy grin is back. “I love you, too.”

^v^v^v^v^v^v^v

At sunset, Tyler and Josh’s hands are intertwined, their shoulders touching as they lay side by side on the rocks. Josh has that tight lumpy feeling in his neck again. 

“Are you doing okay?” Tyler asks, wondering if Josh is still upset from the tangle with the oil rig. 

“I have bad news, Rip-Ty.” Josh turns his head into Tyler’s shoulder and sighs. “The oil build up. I told my family and town about it. They checked it out. It’s coming towards us soon. We’re going to evacuate tomorrow.”

“Why is that bad?” Tyler furrows his eyebrows.

“Because, we aren’t doing a normal evacuation. We’re just starting our trip West early… a whole month early. I don’t wanna go yet. I’m going to miss you…”

“Oh…” Tyler’s heart sinks. “Oh.” 

“I know.” 

“It’s only a couple months, though...” A couple months of not seeing Josh everyday, twice a day. Back to his old routine of swimming and work, without the bright, pink haired, squinty eye goofball to look forward to. A couple months of dullness. “And you’ll have a fun trip. You said you were looking forward to it.” Tyler offers.

“That was before I got attached,” Josh mumbles. 

“Well,” Tyler starts with a small sigh. “Let’s just enjoy the rest of the time we do have, then.” He pulls Josh in, holding him closer. He runs his fingers through Josh’s freshly washed hair. It’s as if the oil accident didn’t even happen. Josh glistens. 

They lay there together quietly, Josh’s tail flipping gently in and out of the water. Every now and then, he lifts water up and sprinkles it onto Tyler as a joke, a lazy playfulness. 

“How will I know where to find you when I move out to Cali?” Tyler finally asks as the tide starts to rise too high. 

“If you find a spot, I’ll find you.” 

“Mermaid magic thing?”

“Something like that. But we have to be more careful out there. The waves are bigger and there’s more shark traffic.” 

“Shark traffic,” Tyler repeats with a nervous, short laugh. He bites his lip with anxiousness.

“Don’t worry, it will be okay. I’m still working on the whole breathing thing, too. We’ll find a safe spot and go from there, okay?” Josh smiles. 

“Okay,” Tyler smiles back softly. “I’ll miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too. But we’ll meet again very soon. The right place, the right tide.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2 years later... hi 
> 
> Hope people are still able to see/read this (idk if it's lost in the dark depths of ao3 bc it's been so long). But YAY i'm back after an unofficial, unplanned, and unprecedented hiatus. I always think about how happy this story made me and the people who have read and commented... i couldn't just let it go unfinished. My motivation is back and i'm excited to be writing again. i'm sorry for the delay i feel so sad that I left this hanging for so long, but hopefully this long update makes up for it! 
> 
> And i'm still going to do a part 2 of the series, with 4 more chapters. I promise it won't take me 2 years this time :) 
> 
> comment below if you're with me! <3


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